Cup dispensing cabinet



Aug. 26, 1941 s. N. H gE v 2,254,038 I CUP DIs ENsIge CABINET Filed July29, 1940 FIG. 2 1.9

INVENTOR SAMUEL N. HOPE Patented Aug. 26, 1941 CUP DISPENSING CABINETSamuel N. Hope, Wauwatosa, Wis., assignor to Lily-Tulip Cup Corporation,New York, N. Y., a

corporation of Delaware Application July 29, 1940, Serial No. 348,180

' 5 Claims.

The present invention relates to cabinets adapted for the dispensing ofnested paper drinking cups and other articles.

An object of the invention is to provide a dispensing cabinet forenclosing and protecting a stack of cups and the like, and which willpermit convenient access to the cups for individual withdrawal thereofand for replacement of the stack.

Another object is to provide a cupdispensing cabinet which, can berested in stable position on a flat-topped support, such as a table,desk or counter, without requiring the use of attaching means.

A further object is to provide a dispensing cabinet which is of simpleand durable construction and which can be economically manufactured.

Still another object is to perfect details of construction generally.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating one specific embodiment of theinvention:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a cup dispensing cabinet constructed inaccordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken generally along the line 2-2 ofFig. 1, an open position of a swingable cover or casing member of thecabinet being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken generally along theline 33 of Fig. 1, the cover being shown in open position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken generally along theline 4-4 of Fig. 2, the cups being omitted;

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the cabinet;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 6-6 of Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a top view of the cabinet base, and

Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of a cushion stop for the cover, partsbeing broken away and parts being shown in section.

In the drawing, I designates a flat-topped base frame of rounded contourhaving an opening I I in its top wall and a downturned marginal flangeI2, the base frame being preferably pressed from heavy sheet metal.Mounted at the underside of the base frame and within the marginalflange are two heavy sheet metal plates I3 and I4 arranged one below theother and spot welded or otherwise secured together. The top plate I3has a central front extension I which is spot welded or otherwisesecured to the base frame, and both plates have reduced rear tongues I 6which are soldered or otherwise secured at I! tothe base frame.

The base frame III and plates I3 and I4 form a base or support for thecabinet. The plate I3 and the edges of the base frame opening II definea shallow flat-bottom recess or cavity adapted to receive therein thelower edges of an upright sheet metal casing member I8 of roundedtrough-shaped cross-section, the casing member being open along itsfront and having a hoodlike top portion I9. The casing member is rigidlysecured to the base by screws which pass through the plates- I3 and I4and engage angles 2| spot welded or otherwise secured to the lower innerwalls of the casing member at the rear and opposite sides of the casingmember. The

screws 20 also secure in place a marginally flanged bottom plate 22which fits within the flanged base member and constitutes a part of thebase. The plate 22 has riveted thereto a plurality of cup-shaped buttonsor feet 23, preferably of rubber, two of these feet being mounted at therear of the plate and the other two being mounted on spaced frontextensions of the plate.

The casing member I8 is closed at its front by an upright marginallyflanged complementary casing member 24 of-trough-shaped cross-section.The casing member 24 forms a hinged cover or closure and when closed isadapted to lap the front edges of the casing member I8. An angle bracket25 formed of heavy sheet metal has its vertical front portion spotwelded or otherwise secured to the inner face of the coverforming casingmember 24 adjacent to the lower end of this casing member, and has arearwardly projecting platform portion 26. A metal strap 21 is spotwelded or otherwise transversely secured to the bottom face of thebracket and has spaced downturned vertical ears 28 which pass throughparallel slots 29 formed in the top wall of the base frame. The ears 28extend along the outer sides of downturned ears 30 formed on the frontextension I5 of the plate I3, and have forwardly projecting lowerportions, Fig. 3, which are pivotally secured to the ears 30 by a hingepin 3|. The cover-forming casing member is swingable' forwardly aboutthe hinge pin to the inclined open position seen in Fig. 3, the frontends of the slots 29 forming stops engageable by the ears 28 to limitthe opening movement. The cover or casing member 24 is provided at itsupper portion with a handle 32 by which it may be swung to its openposition. The closing movement of the cover'is cushioned by a rubberbumper 33 which for convenience in manufacture may be identical with therubber feet 23. The bumper is riveted to a sheet metal supporting plate34, Fig. 8, having notches 35 at opposite sides. A sheet metal mountingplate 33 is spot welded or otherwise secured to the under side of thehood portion [9 of the casing member l8 adjacent to the front edge ofthis casing member. The mounting plate is provided at opposite sideswith bendable lugs 31 which are adapted to enterthe notches of thebumper plate 34, thus permitting easy attachment of the bumper to thecasing member and avoiding projections at the outer side of the casingmember.

Secured to the rearwardly projecting portion 26 of the cover bracket 25,as by spot welding, is a hat-shaped sheet metal cup-retainingmember 33having inclined shouldered side walls, Fig. 3. A stack of nestedinverted paper cups A are supported on the retaining member 38, as seenin Fig. 2, the shape of the retaining member permitting cups of varioussizes to be accommodated.

When the cup dispensing cabinet is in use, it is rested on a suitabletabular support 39, such as a table, desk or counter, the rubber feet 23preventing marring of finished surfaces and resisting sliding movement.The weight of the base holds the cabinet in a stable upright position.The weight of the cover bracket 25 and other cover-supported parts atthe rear of the vertical plane of the hinge pin 3i'holds the cover orswingable casing member in its normal closed.

position, thus enclosing and protecting the cups in the container orreceptacle formed by--- the casing members. g

Whena cup is desired the cover or casingmember 24 is swung by its handle32 to the inclined open position shown by dotted lines inFig. 2, and byfull lines in Fig. 3, the stack of cups being swingable outwardly withthe cover. The cover will be retained in its open position, as itscenter of weight is then forward of the vertical plane of the hinge pin31. The uppermost cup is removed from the inclined stack, "and the coveris .then swung rearwardly to'its closed position. In the final part ofits closing movement the cover is urged rearwardly by its unbalancedweight, and when the cover reaches its closed position it is cushionedby the rubber bumper 33.

While one specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, modifications and variations may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a dispensing cabinet, a base adapted to be rested on a support, a.pair of complementary upright casing members on said base adapted toform a receptacle for enclosing therein a stack of nested inverted cupsto be dispensed from above, one of said casing members being pivotallymounted about a transverse axis at the lower portion for outwardswinging movement to permit access to said stack, and means carried bysaid pivotally mounted casing member for supporting said stack of cupsfrom below, said means having a cup-retaining part adapted to extendinto the lowermost inverted cup.

2. In a dispensing cabinet, a base adapted to be rested on a support, acasing member fixed on said base and having an open front, a cover forsaid open front pivotally mounted on said base and 'swingable about atransverse axis to open and closed positions, said casing member andcover forming a receptacle for enclosing therein a stack of articles tobe dispensed, and means 7 carried by said coverat its lower portion and3. In a dispensing cabinet for nested cups and the like, a base, and apair of complementary upright casing members on said base adapted toform a receptacle for enclosing therein a stack of nested cups, one ofsaid casing members being pivotally rnounted about a transverse axis atthe lower portion thereof for" outward swinging movement to permitaccess to said stack, said swingable casing member having a bracket atits lower portion with a cup-retaining proj ection on which the stack ofcups is supported? 4.1;; a dispensing cabinet, an apertured base,

a casing member'secured to said base and having an open front, and acover for said open front having ears at its lower end projectingthrough said base and pivotally secured to said base, said basehavingstop abutments limiting the outward swinging movement of saidcover, said casing member'and coverforming a. receptacle for enclosingtherein a stack of articles to be dispensed,

and said cover being swing'ableoutwardly for access to said stack.

5. In a dispensing cabinet, a base having a top wall with a recesspresenting side edges, a casing Sb-member of trough-shaped cross-sectionhaving 'an open front and having its lower edges fitting in said recess,means for securing said casing member to said base, and a cover for theopen front of said casing member and forming with said member areceptacle for enclosing therein a stack of articles to be dispensed,said cover being pivotally mounted at its lower end and-swingableoutwardly for access to said stack.

. SAMUEL N. HOPE.

